Push button switch

Abstract

A push button switch, particularly a master switch, has housing-affixed contacts (4, 7) and at least one contact bridge (8, 9) movable by a spring plunger (10). A spring-switching mechanism (24, 25, 26) is operatively coupled between the spring plunger and a manually-movable sliding switch, or switch actuator, (22). A guiding, or sliding, locking linkage apparatus for the sliding switch (22), which includes two locking parts, a first of which is a track (27) and a second of which is a follower lever (28) for engaging the track. Upon alternate depressions of the sliding switch, the sliding switch alternately moves between "on" and "off" positions. In order to prevent damage to the locking apparatus upon a pulling of the sliding switch in a direction opposite to a direction of depression of the sliding switch, the first and second locking parts release from the housing to follow movement of the sliding switch.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege are claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A push button switch having a housing, housing-affixed contacts, at least one contact bridge for bridging the contacts that is movable by means of a spring plunger, an over-center spring-switching mechanism that is operatively coupled between the spring plunger and a manually-movable sliding switch, and a locking linkage for the sliding switch comprising first and second locking parts, one of which is a track and the other of which is a follower lever engaging the track, whereby the sliding switch, upon its depression against a force of a return spring, shoves said first locking part along the second locking part and thereby alternately switches between "on" and "off" positions: wherein said first locking part is integral with the sliding switch and the second locking part is pressed against a bearing surface of the housing by means of the return spring of the sliding switch so as not to be slidable with said sliding switch when said sliding switch is depressed, but which upon a manual pulling of said sliding switch in a direction opposite to a depressing direction, is movable with said sliding switch so that it can follow movement of the first locking part, that is integral with the sliding switch, with which said second locking part is engaged.   
     
     
       2. A push button switch as in claim 1 wherein the first locking part is a groove defined by the sliding switch and the second locking part is a follower lever that is guided by the sliding switch and wherein the follower lever is urged by means of a return spring against a surface of the housing. 
     
     
       3. A push button switch as in claim 2 wherein the surface of the housing defines a notch in which a boss of the follower lever is pressed. 
     
     
       4. A push button switch as in claim 3 wherein the surface of the housing on which the boss of the follower is pressed is on the exterior surface of the housing. 
     
     
       5. A push button switch as in claim 3 wherein the boss is laterally displaced from a working surface of the follower lever operated on by the return spring.